Wanting to pursue Midwifery at such a young age???

Hello All,

I'm currently a senior nursing student working on my BSN. I'm interested in becoming a nurse midwife. I've pretty much made up my mind about my profession. I'm very goal oriented and even know I want to attend the Frontier school of Midwifery. I plan on getting a years experience hopefully in L&D *crosses fingers* but if not any department would be good. I just want some good experience. I've been doing quite a bit of research and I know Frontier only requires you to have one year of experience, but I have a question .... With me being so young (I will be 22/23) and possibly getting out of school when I'm 25/26 will employers for nurse midwives really take me seriously?? I know I would have gone to school and be well prepared but I'm thinking that since I will be so young I will get overlooked because of the older more experienced nurses. I've looked at a lot of Nurse Midwives in my area and a lot of them had a lot of experience mostly in L&D before they went to CNM school. I would love to get years of experience so I will fill fully competent, but I really would like to get all of my schooling out of the way while my parents are willing to support me while I chase my dreams and don't have a husband and kids. I love the idea of having all of my schooling over with by the age of 26!! Sounds great right!!! But will this put me at a disadvantage? Are employers willing to train new nurse midwives and would they even want to hire me since I will be so young?

I'm going to pursue my dreams either way I just want to be realistic about my expectations and my job outlook for the future. ANY SUGGESTIONS/OPINIONS/COMMENTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!:redpinkhe
Just go for it ! Your age won't matter, just be mature and competent and you will do great.

Sounds great!! Thanks for the words of encouragement!

I don't see anything wrong with your goals either. I thought when I was a nursing student I would start a CNM program after a year or so of nursing experience, then found out in nursing school that I was not as interested in OB as I thought I was (thank God for clinicals!). Now, after three years of RN experience, I'm starting an FNP program in 2 months. I'll be 23 when I start the program.

Work it, girl! There's no reason you can't succeed at a young age. When I met my OB/GYN for the first time, my jaw dropped at how young she looked. She looked just a few years older than me and I'm in my mid-twenties. My gut was questioning her every move, but she quickly proved herself with her knowledge and professionalism. You WILL have people that will suggest you wait until you're older, but if you have the drive, knowledge and maturity, you will do GREAT! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Sounds like your calling to me

Hey In Ireland the majority of nurses and midwives start their training at 18, generally straight after secondary school(of course there are mature students but in the number is quite limited) . Also, there is now a midwifery 4 years BS degree program. Every year many students start out as actual fully qualified midwives at the age of 22!! Once you act mature and you are competant and well educated, everything should be fine!!

Thanks everyone for your positive thoughts!! I understand fully about the maturity thing and honestly even though I'm only 21 I believe I'm very mature for my age. Nursing school has made me grow up A LOT. Things that my friends are doing I'm not able to do because I'm always having to study. But I always remember my goals and pout for a few seconds and then open my pharmacology or whatever nursing book I need to study. lol Nursing is so much fun in my eyes and thanks to people like you I feel so much better about my decisions!!!:heartbeat@ChristineN what made you change your mind about OB?? I'm currently going through my OB/Peds rotation, but I'm getting more peds then ob because the OB clinical site doesn't have that many births so we end up just studying for 12 hours! Which is a good thing but since I'm interested in L&D I'm kind of upset about it. I'm going to be applying for an externship in the next month or so and hopefully I will get a chance to be in the L&D department so I can make 10000% sure this is what I want to do. Oh and good luck on your future FNP plans!!!

Quote from SN_2012@ChristineN what made you change your mind about OB?? I'm currently going through my OB/Peds rotation, but I'm getting more peds then ob because the OB clinical site doesn't have that many births so we end up just studying for 12 hours! Which is a good thing but since I'm interested in L&D I'm kind of upset about it. I'm going to be applying for an externship in the next month or so and hopefully I will get a chance to be in the L&D department so I can make 10000% sure this is what I want to do. Oh and good luck on your future FNP plans!!!

Quote from ChristineN@SN_2012 I did my OB rotation in nursing school in the largest OB ward in the area (easily one of the largest in the state, high risk mamas were flown in for their care), which was known as the "baby factory. While I got to see lots of births during my rotation, I did not like all the unnecessary medical interventions on healthy births that I saw. The mom who "decided" they could schedule her baby to be born on x day, the discouraging moms from walking, etc. The nurses on the unit also had a very sour attitude toward the CNM's. I knew as a CNM I wanted to treat birth not as an emergency but as something expected, not requiring a million interventions (at least in the low risk birth). I think if I would have had a smaller OB unit near me I may have liked that better.

I'm doing the same. I turned 24 and am enrolling hopefully this upcoming fall term to a CNM program. I don't have much in the way of OB experience but I have found a couple CNMs that did not have it and are doing fine. I'm hoping to get this knocked out before 2015. My only word of advice: don't get attached to dates. I was supposed to have started last year but life has gotten in the way and I was very depressed and upset but I think as long as we get there that is all that matters. We will get there. And you know what people who don't want to listen to us because we are "young" pooh pooh them! they are just jealous!

Quote from chicookieI'm doing the same. I turned 24 and am enrolling hopefully this upcoming fall term to a CNM program. I don't have much in the way of OB experience but I have found a couple CNMs that did not have it and are doing fine. I'm hoping to get this knocked out before 2015. My only word of advice: don't get attached to dates. I was supposed to have started last year but life has gotten in the way and I was very depressed and upset but I think as long as we get there that is all that matters. We will get there. And you know what people who don't want to listen to us because we are "young" pooh pooh them! they are just jealous!